The Christmas Parties are coming!
This year we will be hosting the 4th annual International Bible Fellowship Church Christmas Parties at our home. Â Over 2 nights, the 18th and the 20th, we will host everyone at our church who can make it to the parties. Â Last year we had almost 60 people at each of the parties, for over 100 in our home over those 2 nights!
It makes for a busy week, but one that we love. Â And it’s this week!
Abi and Rejoice are sporting the two most common ways of baby-wearing here in Malawi. Â Rejoice shows us to “under both arms” method, used more commonly with smaller babies. Â And Abi is demonstrating the “over one shoulder” method, used with larger babies and toddlers.
Abi comes by her preference for the over-one-shoulder method quite naturally. Â She spent a lot of time there!
Look at what we woke up to this morning!
We call them ngumbi, but you’d probably call them termites. Â After the first big rain of the season, all the termites come out of their hills and look for new places to live, preferably places that have lights, like our house. It’s been raining off and on for the past couple days, so the termites had their annual “night out” last night and found their way into our house, despite closed doors and windows, and mosquito nets on the windows.
Would you believe that the Ministry of Health actually promotes eating ngumbi as a good source of protein? Â Minus the wings, of course. Â I think we’ll pass this year, but I will let you know that Matt’s favorite way to eat ngumbi is with a light sprinkling of cajan seasoning…
The Biedebachs left on Tuesday, for a couple weeks in South Africa over Christmas, and then furlough in America until July.
JULY! Â We’re really going to miss this family! Â Not only are they our partners in ministry, they’re our good friends. Â And the longer we work with them, the more we’ve grown to appreciate and enjoy them as colleagues and friends.
The Biedebachs had packed up their beds and linens on Monday, so came to spend their last night at our house. Â It was like a slumber party! Â Abi loved having lots of kids to play with and read books to her first thing in the morning!
Then Tuesday morning, all 6 Biedebachs and all their luggage loaded up in their Land Rover and Matt took them to the airport.
We’ll miss this sweet family!
If there is one man God has used to encourage our hearts in ministry in Malawi, it is Kwacha Simwaka. Matt and Kwacha met over 10 years ago in Mozambique where they were both doing missions, and have stayed in touch over the years – even being roommates in South Africa for all of 2005.
Kwacha is finishing up his Theological Masters degree at The Master’s Seminary and planning to graduate this coming May, after which he will return to Malawi and join us in ministry in his home country. Â We are so looking forward to this day! Â God has blessed Kwacha with wisdom, diligence, and a heart burdened for his country. Â Those are just a few of the things we love about him, and a few of the ways that he encourages us. Â In fact, he’s so loved around here, that as Abi is learning her alphabet, she has declared that “K” is for Uncle Kwacha. =)
Kwacha is back in Malawi right now for a few weeks to extend his visa to America so that he can continue with his studies through May. Â We’ve loved the chance to spend time with him! Please pray for him as he prepares to return to Malawi in the not too distant future, and that he can finish his thesis and the master’s program with excellence!
I have a new obsession – drying mangoes.
My friend Mirjam taught me that you can dry sliced mangoes on a piece of cotton fabric, draped over a clothes drying rack and covered with mosquito netting, in the sun for 1-2 days… and you have wonderful dried mangoes.
And since it’s mango season here in the southern hemisphere and you can get local mangoes for about 3 cents apiece, my “dehydrator” has been in use all week. Â We’ve done quite a few mangoes, but also some apples and peaches.
My sticky assistant likes dried fruit, but especially favors the apples. Â She never turns down dried mango though, and now we’re looking forward to having mango all year long!
It was 10 years ago, December 2002, that International Bible Fellowship Church had its first church service.  It was started by 4 families – 2 Baptists and 2 Presbyterians – and spent many years without a full-time pastor.  Then, finally, in 2007, Brian Biedebach took the position as pastor of IBF and moved to Malawi with his family.  In 2009, we joined the Biedebachs in ministry as Matt became the associate pastor.  Over the years, IBF has grown into a truly international fellowship of about 120 people who meet multiple times a week to study God’s Word and worship Him as a body of believers.
AND… just over a week ago, we established a board of elders and deacons! Â We are so blessed to be under the leadership of these men! Â God has faithfully provided for His church. Â Please pray for these men as they serve and lead the church. Â Like the church body, they come from all over the world, so pray for unity for them as they discuss and teach God’s Word. Â We know that the Word of God transcends culture, and we also know that it is only God’s Word and the work of His Spirit in our lives that can unite people from many different cultures so that we can be known as His body, His family. Â Praise the Lord for His work at IBF!
This sight makes for a good morning around here!
The water has been off about 1/2 the time since we got home. Â It goes off without warning for anywhere from 2 hours to 4 days. Â As of this morning, the water had been out for about 2 1/2 days, and then at 8:30am, it was back! Â It gurgles through the pipes in the house, and the quiet noise has as dramatic an effect as a fire alarm. Â “FILL THE WATER BUCKETS! FLUSH THE TOILETS! TAKE A SHOWER! HURRY!!! Â BEFORE IT GETS TURNED OFF AGAIN!” Â I watered the house plants finally, and even started a load of laundry. Â Started. Â We’ll see if we get to finish it! Â =)
There’s no place like home! And I’m not just saying that because I’m from Kansas!
We got back to Malawi on October 23rd, and, despite the jet lag, we’ve enjoyed settling back in to our home over the last week and seeing so many people we love here. There’s nothing like going away to show you how much your heart is tied to a place. We love that the Lord has put Malawi in our hearts and grown our love for it and the people here over the last 3 1/2 years. Â We’re home!
The winner for how to deal with jet lag: Abi. Â Apparently the best way to deal with jet lag is to watch an Elmo video at 3am, while wearing sunglasses.
Two days til Fly Day! Â Boxes and piles are accumulating around our house – we’re getting ready to fly out on SUNDAY! Â Yahoo! Â Yikes!
Yes, we’re excited, but it does feel like there’s a lot to do in the next 2 days. Â We have 5 people staying in our house while we’re gone, so we have to get it ready for them to move in next week. Â And then pack everything we will need for the next 4 months in 3 big boxes and one suitcase.
Then we fly to Greece! Â Our mission organization, Grace Ministries International, has a conference for all its missionaries every 2 years, and this year’s conference is in Greece. Â Conveniently, it’s right at the beginning of our furlough time, so we’re taking a little side trip to the conference on our way to the States. Â We’ll be there for about 10 days for meetings, a bit of touring, catching up with lots of missionary friends, and soaking up some sun so that we can be ready for sunny southern California. Â It was 56 degrees this morning here in our part of the southern hemisphere – we’re due for some warming up!
So here’s our schedule for the next few months. Â Once we get to California and can catch our breath a bit, we’ll have more details on when and where we’re speaking.
Floreen Furlough 2012
June 22 Â Organize the house and tie up loose ends
June 23 Â Packing day
June 24 Â Fly day! Â Lilongwe-Johannesburg-London-Athens
June 25 – July 3  In Greece for our mission organization’s bi-annual conference
July 4 Â Â Fly to Los Angeles
July 4-August 6 Â Â In Santa Clarita, CA, for Matt’s MA in Biblical Counseling classes
August 6-20 Â Â At the Floreens’
August 20-Sept 3 Â Â At the Smiths’
September 3-October 23 Â Â Based in Sun Valley, CA, with trips to eastern Kansas and north-western Washington
October 23-25 Â Â Fly back to Malawi